frank



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK. J. ARNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HENRY T.BUIE, OF SAME PLACE.

V-ELOCI PEDE-SLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,850, datedSeptember 22, 1891.

Application filed January 23, 1891. Serial No. 378,851. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANK. J. ARNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipede-Sleds, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top or plan view, andFig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

My invention relates to sleds, and more particularly to sleds adapted tobe mechanically propelled.

The object of my invention is to provide a sled which may be propelledby the operator on a level surface and in any desired direction. Iaccomplish this object as hereinafter specified, and as illustrated inthe drawings.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates a sled-body which is mounted on runners Bin any suitable manner. Upon the sled-body, and preferably near its`forward end, are secured two upright supporting columns or posts C C,which are firmly secured in the body of the sled at equal distances fromthe front of the sled and are adapted to receive between them asprocket-wheel D, the axles of which are journaled in suitable bearingsin the supports C C. The rods C C are arched toward each other at theirupper ends and unite to form a Single rod c, thus forming a firm supportfor the wheel D. The lower ends ofthe supports C C are mounted inlongitudinal slots t a in the sled-body, the supports being secured intheir Vertical position by plates c, secured on the under side of thesledbody, to which plates the supporfs C C are secured by screws c', asbest shown in Fig. 2, which screws are adapted to be moved in slots inthe plates c. By this construction the supports C C may be movedlengthwise of the sled to tighten or loosen the belt J by simplyloosening the screw c.

E E indicate curved rods, which are made of steel or other suitablematerial andare adjustably secured at their lower ends to the sled-bodyat some distance back of the supports C C, and at their upper ends areunited together and connected to the rod c above the supports C C, asbest shown in Fig. 2.

The adjustment of the rods E at their con-l nection with the sled-body Ais effected by slots and clamp-bolts in a manner similar to thatdescribed with reference to the supports C.

The rods E E are provided, near the point of their junction with the rodc, with a vertical slot or hole adapted to receive a rod F, on

y which is carried a seat G. The rod F is se- H indicates a horizontalshaft the ends of which are mounted in adjustable bearings h on oppositesides of the sled, which shaft is located ashort distance in rear of thesupports C C of the wheel D.

Mou nted upon the shaftH and lirmlysecured thereto near its ends aresprocket-wheels I, and at the center of the shaft I-I is mounted anothersprocket-wheel I', which is in line with the wheel D and is gearedthereto by a link-belt J, the office of the wheel I being to communicatethe motion of the wheel D to the wheels I I. The wheels I I are gearedin turn to corresponding sprocket-wheels K K by link-belts L L, whichwheels are mounted upon a triple crank-shaft M, having arms m m onopposite sides of the shaft, which shaft is mounted in suitable bearingsN N on opposite sides of the sled-body and a short distance back of thebearings h. The shaft M is mounted at such a height above the top of thesled as to permit of the rotation of the arms m m. of the shaft.

P P indicate rods, preferably of iron or steel, which are journaled onthe arms m m. The rods P P extend downward and backward throughlongitudinal slots O in the body of the sled to the ground, their lowerends being pointed or otherwise adapted to engage IOO the ground topropel the sled. By rotating the wheel D by means of the foot-pedals Orotherwise the rotary [notion is communicated through Wheel I to theshaft II and wheels I I and thence through the Wheels K K to thecrank-shaft M. The rods P P are thereby alternately drawn forward andforced backward, the ends of the rod being prevented from slipping' backWithout entering the ground by means of springs Q Q, attached to thesled-body, which are so adjusted on each rod P P as to keep the ends Ot'the rod constantly in contact with the ground.

The relative proportions of the several wheels may be arranged to giveany desired number otl rotations of the crank-shaft to each rotation ofthe driving-Wheel D to regulate the speed at which the sled may benioved.

Rindicates the rudder Or guiding device, which is arranged at thefrontof thesled and consists of a backWardly-curved blade, made of anysuit-able material, which is pivoted at its upper end in a box fitted inthe sled-body on the central line. The rear endof the rudder R isadapted to move to one side or the other to guide the sled and isoperated by a rod T, which is connected to the rudder at its pivotalpoint, and which extends upward to a point near the seat G.

V V indicate handles for moving the rod T, which are fitted on across-bar "u at the top of the rod T in the usual manner. By moving thehandles either to the right or to the left the rudder R will swing in alike direc` tion and the sled will be directed accordingly.

Iith my improved velOcipede-sled the rider is enabled to propel the sledin any desired direction and at any rate of speed, and may run on levelground with great facility.

that I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The combination,with a sled-body A, having runners B, of uprights C,rising from the sled-body and connected at their upper ends with a seatG, a sprocketwheel D, having axles journaled in the uprights andprovided with treadles cl, a transverse shaft H, provided with asprocket-wheel I at each end and with a central sprocket-wheel I', achain J,

connecting the sprocket-wheels on the uprights with the centersprocket-Wheel on the transverse shaft, the crank-shaft M, having asprocket-Wheel K at each end connected by chains L with the endsprocket-Wheels of the transverse shaft, and the propelling-rods P P',carried by the crank-shaft, substantially as described.

2. The coinbinaton,with a sled-bod y A,l1av ing runners B and alongitudinal slot a, of uprights G, adjustable backward and forward inthe slot Of the body and connected with the seat G, t-he sprocket-WheelD,having its axles journaled in the uprights and provided with treadles(Z, the transverse shaft Il, having a sprocket-wheel I at each end and acenter sprocket-wheel I, a chain J, connecting the sprocket-wheel on theuprights with the center sprocket-Wheel on the transverse shaft, thecrank-shaft M, provided at each end with a sprocket-wheel K, the chainsL, connecting the sprocket-Wheels at the ends of the crankshaft with thesprocket-wheels at the ends of the transverse shaft, and thepropelling-rods P P', carried bythe crank-shaft, substantially asdescribed.

The combination, with the sledbody A, having runners B and alongitudinal slot a, of uprights C, provided with screws@ for adjustingthe upright-s along the slot, the seatcarrying rods E,secured to thesled-body and connected to the upper end of the uprights, thesprocket-Wheel D, having its axles journaled in the uprights andprovided with treadles tl, the transverse shaft II, having asprocket-Wheel I at each end and a center sprocket-Wheel I', connectedby a chain .l with the sprocket-Wheel on the uprights, the bearings N,rising from the sled-body and supporting a crank-shaft M, having at eachend a sprocket-wheel K, the chains L, connecting the sprocket-Wheels atthe ends of the crankshaft with the sprocket-Wheels at the ends of thetransverse shaft, and the propelling-rods PP,secured to thecrank-shaft,substantially as described.

FRANK. J. ARNEY.

Titnessesz JOHN L. JACKSON, ROBERT A. MILLAR.

